Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Saskatchewan. Calgary and Winnipeg, again, then BC and Toronto.
That’s what it would take to have a perfect record thus far in CFL Pick ‘Em presented by Old Dutch. One of CFL.ca’s writers has walked that delicate path over the past two weeks.
That person is Jamie Nye, who stands at a perfect 8-0. He’ll share the psychological challenges that come with that kind of mounting success later today in his column. For now, we celebrate our picks leader and will pay extra close attention to his choices this week.
As you make your run through the world of Pick ‘Em, there are other things that jump out to you, suggesting that we’re in the midst of some strange mojo aligning in a very cool way.
The writers’ and the fans’ picks, which can often be like two ships passing in the night, seem to be buckled in on a Week 3 journey together.
What does it all mean? Is Jamie Nye’s perfect record the backbone of a unified writer/fandom picks universe? Where does it all go if he gets a pick wrong? What if he remains perfect? These are heavy questions, tied into at least one heavyweight level meeting, as the 2-0 Lions travel to Winnipeg to face the 2-0 Blue Bombers on Thursday night.
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BC at WPG
It’s early in the season, but this has the makings of a tremendous game. The Bombers took two out of the three meetings they had with the Lions last year, then of course topped them in the Western Final to go to their third consecutive Grey Cup game. A BC win would be a statement for Vernon Adams Jr. and the Lions; it’d be yet another strong start for Zach Collaros and the Bombers, who won their first nine games in 2022 and rattled off nine in a row in 2021 as part of an 11-1 run in that 14-game season. The consensus is the Bombers stack another win on Thursday.
PICK
Writers: 83% Winnipeg
Fans: 84% Winnipeg
MTL at HAM
The Ticats (or perhaps just their fans) are reeling after their 0-2 start. They make their Tim Hortons Field debut on Friday against an Als team that we’re still getting to know, with them coming off of a bye week at 1-0. Bo Levi Mitchell‘s status is up in the air at the moment, after he left Sunday’s game against the Argos with a lower body injury. That wrinkle of uncertainty has the pick makers leaning toward the Alouettes, who ground out a Week 1 win over Ottawa.
PICK
Writers: 66% Montreal
Fans: 62% Montreal
SSK at CGY
The Stamps got back in the win column last week in Ottawa, while the Riders lost something of a shootout with the Bombers last week in their home opener. Trevor Harris threw for over 400 yards in that loss, showing that their offence has firepower. The writers and the fans are thinking that the Riders’ defence will tighten up in Week 3 to handle a Stamps team that’s looking for a consistent offensive performance, with just one passing touchdown through two games.
PICK
Writers: 66% Saskatchewan
Fans: 66% Saskatchewan
TOR at EDM
When you have a team that impressed the way that the Argos did in their debut on Sunday going up against an Elks team that underperformed the way it did on Saturday, the picks here are predictable. The Argos are looking to build momentum and perhaps seize control of the East Division early this season. The Elks have to be carrying some frustration with them, given their goal line stand loss in Week 1 and a Week 2 shutout showing that they know they’re better than. The majority of those making picks see the Argos’ momentum building on Sunday at Commonwealth.
PICK
Writers: 83% Toronto
Fans: 94% Toronto
